Hardware

To make its Pentium 4 processors more interesting, Intel changed benchmark scores in order to make the processors appear superior to those from AMD. The company may now pay back consumers for its benchmark manipulations. A class action lawsuit is accepting claims from consumers who purchased a Pentium 4 chip, and those people should receive $15.

While I, personally, haven’t had the opportunity to play around with the Windows Kinect motion sensor, I’ve seen it in action and it looks quite fun. When it comes to gaming on an Xbox, who doesn’t like voice and full-body gesture control? But now, Microsoft is taking things to the next level with its latest SDK 2.0 for Kinect v2 sensors. Soon, we’ll see Kinect-compatible apps in the Windows Store.

VTech today announced the availability of two new five-inch “fourth-generation” children’s learning tablets, the InnoTab 3S Plus and the InnoTab 3 Plus. Among their features are rechargeable battery power packs and access to more than 800 educator-endorsed, age- and stage-appropriate learning cartridges, software and apps available via VTech’s Learning Lodge app store.

They say the perfect time to buy gadgets is around the winter holiday season, which many retailers think of as the giving season. Well, they clearly haven’t met Newegg’s higher-ups, who seem to have no problem in turning a humdrum end of July into a less crowded, less crazy shopping window.

Despite how powerful and convenient smartphones and tablets are, they can’t always compare to that desktop experience. Many tasks are easier on a large screen, and Window’s menu system is pretty handy and familiar. Some smartphones can wirelessly connect to and mirror images on specific television sets, but in limited ways. Additionally one could purchase an HDMI adapter to connect a smartphone to a TV, but then there’s that awkward issue of cabling.

Intel has introduced its first 4GHz processor, the Core i7-4790K. The processor is little more than an extension to the Haswell product line but for people who are interested in getting the best possible gaming or video editing performance, the 4790K will be a great option. With its new Haswell CPU, Intel is also moving in the same direction of AMD which has had 4GHz processors for a while.

Imagine that you’re working diligently on your home desktop PC, right up to the time you need to go. Most would resort to continuing their work on a mobile tablet or smartphone device while away from their large-screen desktop. But with AOC’s latest mySmart All-in-One displays, you get the best of an Android device and 22- or 24-inch LCD screen.

Somewhat concrete news regarding Intel’s Broadwell CPUs has finally been provided by CEO Bryan Kryanich who spoke with Reuters today. While speaking with the publication, the Intel boss confirmed that Broadwell will be available before the 2014 holiday season this December, but releasing them well before that for the start of the school season may be difficult.

Google is saying, “Come at me, bro!” Those out there up for the challenge of hacking Google’s Chrome OS could find themselves coming into some extra cash. Challenge accepted, anyone? There are a few parameters, however. You’ll have to attend the CanSecWest Security Conference in Vancouver this March to enter Google’s Pwnium 4 Competition. This isn’t the first time Google has held the Pwnium contest as a way of finding security bugs in the Chrome browser and Chrome OS.

Looking for a way to shake things up with your music? Creative, known for the Sound Blaster sound cards, has announced its latest product. The Sound BlasterAxx AXX 200 combines the power of a robust Sound Blaster with the portability of a wireless Bluetooth speaker.

Have you ever wanted to make your own computer? Maybe you’re like me and you always thought it was far beyond your intellectual capabilities. I mean, my degree was in Literature so I have a feeling my computer engineering skills aren’t top-notch. However, thanks to Kano and Kickstarter, we all might have the chance to feel that moment of accomplishment! You know, that moment where you get to call your little brother and say “I just built a computer! What did you do today?!”

Recently I provided 5 thoughts on the Best Buy customer experience. For the most part, they weren’t kind thoughts. Some readers chided me for expressing my preference for buying online and for “showrooming” at the store. So I decided recently that instead of ordering an HP Chromebook 11 online and waiting seemingly forever to receive it, more »